Suction cleaner coupling



y 1939- R. ZACHAIRIAS 2,159,116

SUCTION CLEANER courmuc Filed March 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR RoberlMZw/zarz'as ATTORNEY May 23, 1939- R M. ZACHARBAEE SUCTION CLEAN ER COUPLING Filed March 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R O T N E V m Rob e11 M Zacharias ATTORNEY Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUCTION CLEANER COUPLING Application March 25, 1937, Serial No. 133,009

- 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in suction cleaners and more particularly to means for readily attaching and detaching dirt bags or receptacles to the discharge outlet of a suction 5 cleaner.

The form of dirt'bag herein contemplated is preferably one constructed of paper or like flbrous material sufliciently inexpensive to permit its replacement after a single filling. Heretofor'e, it has been customary to. fashion these bags with a restricted neck mouth portion at one end adapted to fit onto a sleeve-like extension at the discharge outlet from the cleaner body and tachment is quite satisfactory from the standpoint of security, but it hascertain operating dis'- advantages in that it involves the rather awkward operation of holding the mouth of the bag in open position with one hand while performing the clamping operation with the other.

The objectof the present invention is to provide a method of attaching the bag to the discharge outlet by utilizing a distortable collar within the mouth of the bag and which auto- 5 matically assumes a locking. position when it is slipped in-o place and is readily detachable by applying pressure on the collar in such a way as to release it, and all to be accomplished with one hand leaving the other free to steady the cleaner body while making the change. A preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a general view in side elevation of a typical cleaner equipped with one of the improved bag mountings.

. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the special fit ting or adapter designed to receive the mouth of the ba 40 Figure 3 is a perspective'yiew in partial section showing the manner irinvhich the mouthportion of the bag is constructed,

Figure 4 is a view in longitudinal section through the adapter and the mouth portion of the bag showing the latteibeing applied,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure! showing 4 the bag mouth in its final position,

Figure 6v is a top plan view of the adapter and the mouth portion of the bag attached thereto with sections of the bag mouth broken away to show the distorable collar in its locking position,

Figure '1 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the manner in which the pressure of the fingers thence clamped in place. This method of bag at- I is applied to the mouth of the bag in order to detach it from the adapter, and

Figure 8 is a view in longitudinal section sion springs added.

The suction cleaner shown in Figure 1 is typicalof the portable handle-maneuvered type, u'ilizing an elongated bag for collecting the dirt. As shown, the cleaner body I has a rearwardiy extending discharge outlet connection 2 identifled by a vertically disposed flange. In adapting a paper dirt bag to a suction cleaner of this type, it is preferred to use a special fitting 3, hereinafter referred to as an adapter, which serves not only as anextension of the outlet connection but as a 45 degree elbow to bring. the mouth of the bag more nearly into alignment with the bag itself. The adapter has a flanged mouth portion fitting flush against the flanged outlet of the cleaner body and suitably attached in sealing contact therewith, as by means of a pair of clamping bolts 4, (one on each side of the cleaner body) engaging a pair of notched ears 3a, in on' the flanged edge of the adapter.

The outer end portion of the adapter 3 consists of a pair of concentrically arranged sleeves 5 and 6 separated by an annular space, the outer sleeve 5 being relatively short whereas the inner sleeve 6 extends outwardly beyond the outer. sleeve to substantially twice the length thereof, the space between forming a socket 1 preferably having a gasket 8 of rubber or other material inserted in the bottom thereof. The edge of the outer sleeve 5 is preferably beveled internally while the outer extremity of the inner sleeve 5 is externally beveled to facilitate the attachment of the bag and recessed into the outer marginal portion of the sleve O is a pair of diametrically opposed notches l, 8, so fashioned or cut therein as to be relatively deep along their straight forward edges and gradually becoming shallower 'f, as they recede from the edge of the sleeve, giving them a somewhat semi-circular outline as clea ly shown in Figure 2.

- Referring now to the construction of the dirt bag II, the same is preferably of the usual elongated style with a restricted mouth portion at its lower end'adapted to communicate with the discharge outlet from the cleaner and provided at its outerend with suitable means for suspending it from the cleaner handle. The outer wall of the bag II is preferably made up of a single thickness of a suitable filtering material such as paper of the proper weight and texture.- The lower end through the bag and adapter showing the tena of the bag tapers down to a restricted neck portion slightly greater in diameter than the external diameter of the adapter sleeve 9. To form the neck portion of the bag, a collar I l of a relatively stifi fibrous material such as fiberor pressboard, is inserted and secured to the bag material by means of stitching 12 around the entrance or mouth of the bag. Moreover, this internal sleeve II is shaped initially to assume oval shape and to give the neck of the bag the same contour. Thus the mouth ofthe bag prior to its attachment to the adapter 3 presents the oval contour indicated in Figure 3, so that in order to apply the bag to the adapter the neck portion is first distorted into a circular shape by finger pressure and then froced downwardly until its edge seats against the gasket 9 at the bottom of the socket 1, as shown in Figure 5. But it should be noted. at this point that the length of the collar I l is such that when the neck portion is properly seated on the adapter, its innermost edges just clear the shoulders formed by the notches 9, 9 and due to the inherent resiliency of the collar its inner edges spring into the notches thus efiecting a locking connection between the bag and the adapter sleeve 6-after the manner shown in Figure 6. This connection remains intact until the bag is about to be detached, which is accomplished by pressing inwardly on the neck of the bag immediately beyond the end of the outer sleeve 5 and from opposite sides as clearly illustrated in Figure 7, this pressure distorting the collar I l into circular shape so that "the collar .is disengaged from the locking notches 9, 9, thus permitting the neck to be slipped from the adapter with one hand and practically in one and the same operation.

In order to insure the fastening of the collar 1 I after it has'bee'n slipped onto the sleeve 6, it may be desirable to add a pair of tension members I3, I3 as clearly shown in Figure 8. These tension members consist of flat strips of spring metal bent in U-shape and attached to the outer end of the inner sleeve 6 of the adapter diametrically opposite each other and at points disposed angularly at 90 degrees from the locking notches 9, 9. These tension members, in the form of U -shaped fiat springs, are secured as by means of rivets ll, It to the inner face of the sleeve 6, inwardly from its outer edge, thence making a loop beyond the edge, are bent backwardly upon its outer surface and terminate in slightly rounded ends preferably disposed in' alignment with longitudinal grooves l5, l5 cut in the endportion of the sleeve 6 so that when the springs are under tension their ends will be flush with the surface of the sleeve. Thus, in applying the outer portion of the bag over the projecting end of the inward sleeve 6 of the adapter, the tension members-l3, l3 will'act to force or spreadthe inner marginal portion thereof outwardly and supplement the inherent resiliency of the collar in holding it 'in looking connection with the notches 9, 9. Likewise, in

the act of detaching the mouth portion of the bag from the adapter, the pressure of the fingers would be applied directly at the spring fingers thus pressing them inwardly into flush contact with the adapter sleeve, whereupon the collar II is readily disengaged from the notches 9, 9.

Having set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention hereinabove disclosed,

I claim:

1. Means for attaching a dirt bag to the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner having a tubular extension with an annular socket at its base, comprising a collar of a relatively stiif sheet material pre-formed into substantially elliptical cross sectional contour and inserted into the mouth of said bag, said collar being adapted to be distorted transversely preparatory tofitting the sameonto the tubular extension of said outlet, the latter having a notch adjacent its outer end forming an inwardly facing shoulder adapted to engage the outer edge of said collar when its forward edge seats in said annular socket.

2. Means for attaching a dirt bag to the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner having a tubular extension, comprising a collar of relatively stiff sheet material pre-formed into substantially elliptical cross-sectional contour and forming a reinforcement for the mouth of said bag, said collar.

sheet material pro-formed into substantially elliptical cross-sectional contour forming a reinforcement for the mouth of said bag, said collar being adapted to be fitted onto said tubular extension with its outer edge engaging a pair of shoulders adapted to hold said collar against endwise displacement, and tension members carried by said tubular extension and adapted to engage the outer end portions of said collar internally and at points angularly displaced from its point ofengagement with said shoulders.

4. Means for attaching a dirt bag to a suction .cleaner having an exhaust outlet connection in the form of an annular sleeve, comprising a collar'of relatively stiff non-elastic material ;form-, inga reinforcement for the mouth of said bag and normally having an elliptical shape whereby the same must be distorted diametrically to pass the same onto said sleeve, the latter having a notch in its outer surface positioned to be engaged-by the innermost edge of said collar when the same is seated on said sleeve.

ROBERT M. ZACHARIAS.

notches formed in the surface of said tubular extension and providing diametrically disposed 

